I Just Enrolled in Obamacare!

[jojo]

And I'm pretty happy, because I've not had insurance for 4 years.  And it's cheap.

[SteveA]

I registered but haven't enrolled because my current policy hasn't canceled.  I see that the cheapest ACA bronze policy they have is $ 200.00 more a month than I'm paying now.  I can't go out of their network while with my policy I can see any Dr. or go to any hospital without restriction.  Finally my deductible currently is $ 2500.00 - contrast that with the bronze ACA policy the deductible is
$ 12,700.00. 

I'm glad you now have insurance but for me the jury is still out whether it will be better.  I just wish the administration had refused to license insurance companies UNLESS they allowed pre-existing conditions, without caps;  rather than change the whole system.   
SA

[MinUph]

Ive been trying since October 1st. Finally got an application in a couple weeks later and still haven't heard anything. I had to upload my Drivers license for identification and that hasn't been taken care of yet either. Just waiting. We haven't had Ins. for a long time either.

[JuneC]

Good for you, Jojo!  I hope it works well for you.  

Like Steve, my current private policy is pretty reasonable with a $3000 deductible and what I see available doesn't even come close until the premiums go to over $900 a month (for 2 of us).   Different states....  The marriage penalty is a killer.  They need to fix that.  The most reasonable is a Humana HMO and there are very few spets or hospitals on their approved list.  I live in a major metropolitan area and there are only 2 cardiologists and 3 oncologists within 25 miles on the list.   I also wish they had left some catastrophic policies available.  I'd rather pay cheap prices and eat the first $20 grand myself.  It wouldn't be easy, but it's a risk I'm willing to bear.  

Given prices I'm seeing currently, we're about to go from insured to uninsured.  I do the accounting so I'll just be sure there's never a refund.  The penalty has absolutely no teeth.  

I'm afraid to get on the website with any personally identifiable information till I'm sure they've fixed the security problems.  It's too easily hacked at the moment.

June

[Mike]

I think the government should pass a law that everybody with bad canvas HAS to replace it or get a fine!
same goese for worn boat upholstery and springs poking you in you home furniture.
on the news here last night a woman living off the grid is being told she has to have electricity per county ordinance

[JuneC]

Mike, I like your style  :D

Delivering a boat to Charleston a few years ago we ran out of daylight at Jacksonville and pulled into a "marina" that was marked on the GPS.  It was not a public marina - no services.  But they had shore power.  Really nice "down home" live-aboard occupants there.  One guy within 5 minutes of docking offered us his truck to go get some food.  They were all off the grid.  The marina had water/electricity accounts but it wasn't metered to individual slips.  The live-aboards, if they paid cash for their dockage, were unaccounted for.  They could have been anyone.  Interesting place.  I'll never forget it. 

June

[jojo]

Steve, what state are you in? I can only speak for the rates on the Pennsylvania exchange. I will pay $50 a month, $400 deductible, $15 copay for dr. visits.

[SteveA]

JoJo

I'm in New York - my Wife and I - as co-filers -
You would think that rates would be consistent no matter what state you live in ?

SA

[Mike]

Steve, what state are you in? I can only speak for the rates on the Pennsylvania exchange. I will pay $50 a month, $400 deductible, $15 copay for dr. visits.

JOJO that don't sound bad but curious what if you had a major hospital event and incurred say $125,000 plus bill what would your expense be?

[jojo]

There's an out-of-pocket max of $2000.

[kodydog]

My best advice, stay healthy until they get it all sorted out.

[JuneC]

Jojo, that sounds like a phenomenal deal.  I'd be all over that.  Down this way, it's $12,500 (as Steve stated) for a deductible, and the prices are high (IMHO).  I think Kody's right on.  It's gonna take a few years and things are going to change in the next few years, hopefully for the better for all of us small businesses.  I'd really like to get a group (small business) plan, but the tax credit doesn't apply to business owners, only employees of that business (shareholders are excluded).  Hopefully they'll fix that too. 

June

[SteveA]

June
I was told that I could not register for the small business plan because I don't have a full time third employee.  Two people in a business don't qualify - my wife and I ?  Government say's were not a true business - however they have collected taxes all these years from our business generated income !
The other thing that I trying to figure out is if I take the subsidies as an individual can I still write off the cost of health insurance as a business expense.  Does anyone understand this plan ?

SA

[jojo]

Wow, June and Steve. I'm really surprised at the huge disparity in rates from state to state, and the other variables. Maybe I got such a great rate was because I was uninsured, and that's the whole point of the law...to get everybody insured? Also, I'm not married, but only because they won't let me here in Pennsyltucky.

[baileyuph]

Writing off health insurance:

Insurance provided employes as a business expense - if it played against business profits, possibly but for self, never heard of that one.

Health Insurance cost is what it is, but how cost is levied has more to do with degree of risk to the insurer and now the Obamacare factor is making it more expensive on those who earn more.  This higher earnings group are paying more to cover the lower income group.  

Seems the government getting involved drives up the cost that has to be shouldered by the more wealthy.  Why is govenment getting more involved?

This type of care will likely drive me to not having care!  

Obviously, there are some who like this idea, but if it drives me to becoming uninsured, what is right about that?

Doyle